Cooling unit



COOLING UNIT I r I I K INVENTOR.

5 G 3 6502 5 L SPRING ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 3,v I933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE L. SPRING, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO KELVINATOR CORPORATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN COOLING UNIT Application filed August 14, 1930. Serial No. 475,246.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to cooling units for mechanical refrigerators.

The object of this invention is to provide a cooling unit, having means for transferring heat from the contents of a freezing tray to refrigerant in an evaporator, of simplified construction and economical to manufacture.

Heretofore it has been customary to transfer heat from the contents of a freezing tray to the refrigerant in an evaporator associated therewith by means of brine in a tank surrounding the freezing tray and the evaporator, or by means of conduit loops, through which refrigerant is circulated, communicating with the eva orator and surrounding the freezing tray. ooling units using either of these heat transferring means are somewhat complicated in structure and costly to manufacture.

In the drawings: I

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a cooling unit having a sleeve for the reception of a freezing tray disposed at right angles to the evaporator.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the cooling unit shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of a cooling unit having a sleeve for the reception of a freezing tray parallel to the evaporator.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 3.

The cooling unit 10 embodying this invention is housed in a refrigerator 11 having outer walls 12 separated from its inner walls 13 by insulating material 14. A refrigerant evaporator 15, having a head 16 secured thereto by bolts 17, is supplied with liquid refrigerant from a compressor-condenser structure, not shown, through conduit 18 which communicates with a coupling 19 carried on the head 16. The opposite side of the coupling 19 is provided with a service valve 20. Evaporated refrigerant fluid is withdrawn from the evaporator 15 through a conduit 21 communicating with a coupling 22 carried by the head 16. The opposite end of the conduit 21 is connected to-the low side of tlie compressor condenser structure. The coupling 22 is also provided with a service valve 23. The evaporator 15 is suspended from and secured to the upper wall 13 of the refrigerator 10 by means of hanger straps 24. The hanger straps 24 are held in position by bolts 25 adapted to receive nuts 26. Washers 27 are positioned between the inner wall 13 of the refrigerator and the head of the bolt 25 and between the wall and the flanged extremities 28 of the hanger straps 24.

Three U-shaped fin members 29 are fitted securely about the upper portion of the body of the evaporator 15, and in intimate thermal contact therewith, as shown in,Figures l and 2. The extremities of the U-shaped fin members 29 on the opposite sidesof the evaporator 15 are notched and bent back upon themselves as at 30, to form short arms 31 projecting away from the evaporator toward the front of the refrigerator, and to form longer arms 32 projecting away from the evaporator and toward the rear of the refrigerator. The projecting arms 32 are notched as at 33 and bent at right angles to form legs 34. A rectangular sleeve 35, adapted to receive a freezing tray 36, has its top side soldered or otherwise secured in intimate thermal contact to the arms 31 and 32 of the U-shaped fins 29. The edges of the rectangular sleeve 35 extending toward the rear of the refrigerator, are similarly secured to the legs 34 of the U-shaped fins 29. Fin members are used to provide the necessary thermal contact between the sleeve for receiving freezing tray and the evaporator, to present a greater heat transfer surface to the air surrounding the cooling unit as the unit is designed to cool a refrigerator as well as freeze contents of freezing tray.

A shelf 37 is supported beneath the cooling unit 10 by brackets 38 secured to the inner side walls 13 of the refrigerator 11. The

shelf 37 is provided on its upper surface with of the evaporator and freezing tray sleeve, While the other compartment is designed to receive ice cubes 42 for storage.

A somewhat modified structure is shown in Figures 3 and 4 wherein the sleeve for receiving a freezing tray is parallel to the axis of the evaporator. In this modified structure, a strip of sheet metal 43 having two of its opposite edges flanged as at 44, is placed around the body of the evaporator 15 and held in position by securing the flanged edges 44 together at the top of the evaporator by bolts 45 adapted to receive nuts 46. Openings 47 are provided in the sides of the metal sheet 43 to permit the lower portion of the hanger straps 24 to extend therethrough.

The portions of the metal sheet 43 adjacent to the flanged edges 44 are fitted tightly about the upper half of the body portion of the evaporator 15. The portions of the metal sheet 43 more remote from the flanged edges 44 deflect slightly from the side walls of the evaporator 15; and the central portion of the metal sheet, or the lower portion in respect to its relation with the evaporator, is U- shaped forming the bottom and two of the side walls of a rectangular shaped sleeve 47. A portion of the metal sheet 43 forming the sleeve 47 projects beyond the rear wall of the evaporator 15 as indicated at 49. The metal sheet 43 is so fashioned that a portion adjacent to that part of the rectangular sleeve 47 shown at 49, may be folded over the top of the sleeve to form a top wall therefor, having a flanged edge 51 secured to a side wall of the sleeve by soldering or similar means. Similarly, a portion of the sheet 43 is folded over the end of the sleeve 47 to form a rear wall 52 therefor having a flanged edge 53 soldered or secured by other means to the side of the sleeve 47. A second metal sheet 48, designed to fit the top of the rectangular sleeve 47, is provided with ears 54 adapted to fit into openings in the sides of the sleeve 47 to secure the sheet 48 in position as a top wall for the sleeve. Opposite end portions of the sheet 48 are designed to be folded back upon themselves as at 55 to form a closure for the openings at the opposite ends of the evaporator 15 between the evaporator and the top wall of the sleeve 47 and that portion of the metal sheet 43 above the upper edges of the sleeve 47 which are remote from the evaporator 15. The folded portions of the sheet 48 are provided with ears 57 adapted to fit into openings in the sheet 43 to secure the front and rear closures in position. The sleeve 47 is adapted to receive a freezing tray 36. A defrosting pan 56 is positioned on the shelf 37 beneath the evaporator 15 and sleeve 47.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the structure disclosed herein is merely illustrative of the invention, and that many modifications and changes may be made in such structure without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a mechanical cooling unit the combination with a horizontally disposed cylin drical refrigerant vaporizer of a heat transfer unit comprising a sheet metal receptacle adapted to contain a freezing tray and positioned beneath the vaporizer, and a strip of sheet metal partially encircling the Vaporizer and secured to the sheet metal receptacle, whereby the latter is supported by the vaporizer, the lateral edge of the strip being bent to form fins projecting into the medium surrounding the vaporizer.

2. In a mechanical cooling unit the combination with a refrigerant vaporizer of a heat transfer unit comprising a plurality of sheet metal strips partially encircling the vaporizer, the lateral edges of the strips being bent to form fins projecting into the medium surrounding the vaporizer, and a sheet metal receptacle adapted to contain a freezing tray secured to the extremities of the sheet metal strips.

In testimony whereof I hereunto. aflix my signature.

. GEORGE L. SPRING. 

